Taylor Swift attends Chiefs game to watch Travis Kelce; tentative deal reached to end writers strike: Morning Rundown
The Writer’s Guild of America reached a tentative deal to resolve their strike. Biden’s circle worries that the biggest threat to his re-election may come from third-party candidates. And Taylor Swift fueled dating rumors as she cheered on Travis Kelce at a Kansas City Chiefs game.
Here’s what to know today.
WGA and AMPTP reach tentative deal to resolve writers strike
The Writers Guild of America and Hollywood’s top media companies reached a tentative agreement that could resolve the writers strike and bring a close to one of the longest walkouts in entertainment industry history.
The tentative agreement caps five straight days of negotiations, including the appearance on Thursday of Disney’s Bob Iger, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav and Comcast’s NBCUniversal Studio Group Chairman Donna Langley (NBC News is owned by Comcast), a source familiar with the discussions said.
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“WGA has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP,” the guild said in a statement. “This was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings who joined us on the picket lines for over 146 days.”
Details will be released after the WGAW Board and WGAE Council vote on the agreement, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday with members then needing to ratify it. Hollywood actors will continue their strike, which started in July, until their union, SAG-AFTRA, reaches a deal with the studios, too.
Biden’s circle worried about spoilers as third parties threaten to boost Trump
In a new national NBC News poll, President Joe Biden is tied with former President Donald Trump, at 46% in a head-to-head matchup. But when third-party options are included, Trump leads Biden 39% to 36%.
There’s now a creeping fear developing inside Biden’s circle that the biggest threat to his re-election may come less from the potential Republican nominee and more from minor-party spoiler candidates, according to more than a half-dozen people who are in regular contact with the White House.
“With a tight election, every vote counts,” a close Biden ally said of the third-party threat. “Is it in the back of many people’s brains? Absolutely. Do we have to be careful as we move out? Yes, we do.”
Exclusive: Fake elector launches effort to ‘guard’ the Constitution
A retired Air Force veteran, Shawn Meehan, is among those accused of trying to derail the 2020 election who are now under scrutiny by federal prosecutors. He was a “fake elector” in Nevada, who in 2020, along with five other Republicans in the state, signed documents that authorities say aimed to interfere with Joe Biden’s rightful electoral victory.
He told NBC News he has launched a new project which aims to guard the Constitution, educate public officials and motivate citizens to engage with local officials. To some, it is rich with irony that someone accused of upending the nation’s peaceful transfer of power would set up a site aimed at protecting the Constitution.
Standing ovation for Ukrainian who fought for the Nazis sparks anger and an apology in Canada
It seemed like a touching and timely tribute by Canadian lawmakers to a 98-year-old war “hero” who fought for Ukraine’s independence during World War II. But it soon emerged that the man was in fact part of a notorious Nazi unit, leading to fury at the standing ovation he was given in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian nonagenarian did fight the Soviet Union, but as part of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, “a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are well-documented,” according to a Canadian human rights group.
Republicans’ anti-Trump effort flounders as the former president cruises ahead
So far, not a single rival campaign or their related super PACs have devoted significant advertising funds for explicitly attacking former President Donald Trump. There is no major anti-Trump super PAC or significant donor financing a push to topple him as the Republican party’s leader, and there is concern that, at this point, spending financial or political capital to undercut Trump is a fool’s errand.
Two outside political organizations running ads urging voters to move away from Trump have so far not lived up to the anti-Trump spending campaign that some had hoped for.
Today’s Talker: Taylor Swift attended a Kansas City Chiefs game…
…adding fuel to the rumors that she might be dating Travis Kelce. The singer was decked out in red and white for the game as she was spotted in a suite with Kelce’s mother. The ongoing speculation about Taylor Swift and Kelce, a two-time Super Bowl champion, began when he attended the Eras Tour over the summer.
Politics in Brief
Possible Senate bid: Although Sen. Kyrsten Sinema hasn’t publicly announced yet whether she’s running for re-election next year, her team has been mapping out a campaign strategy and pitching donors on how she can win the marquee Senate race, according to a two page document obtained by NBC News.
Menendez bribery charges: Sen. John Fetterman has called for Sen. Bob Menendez to resign in the wake of the bribery allegations against him, but so far Democratic colleagues are reluctant to join him.
UAW strikes: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that President Joe Biden is heading to the picket line with auto union workers this week because he’s “deeply pro-worker,” and the White House isn’t pushing for any specific terms to settle the auto strike.
Staff Pick: Turf wars
When Aaron Rodgers tore his achilles during the first New York Jets game of the season, it reignited an ongoing debate in the sports world over the safety of artificial turf. For an average viewer of the game, reporter Jasmine Cui and data editor Joe Murphy make it easy to understand just how much those higher injury rates correspond with synthetic surfaces. - Elizabeth Both, associate platforms editor
In Case You Missed It
Italian Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, who was arrested in January after spending 30 years on the run, has died. The ‘last Godfather’ had been suffering from cancer.
A capsule containing samples from an asteroid landed safely on Earth, returning after a roughly 4-billion-mile journey over the past seven years.
The NFL and Apple Music announced that Usher will be this year’s Super Bowl halftime performer.
A young brother and sister who took their mother’s car on a ride after she took away their electronic devices were stopped by police on a Florida highway about 200 miles from home.
Six people are dead, including three children, after a train crashed into a car crossing railroad tracks in Florida.
Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
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